Health Tests Your Doctor Doesn't Know You Need

You won't know something's wrong unless you look

The Best Health Tests

Just because someone plays guitar, that doesn’t mean they sound like Jimi Hendrix. Same goes for doctors. Here at Men’s Health, we’ve learned that top doctors—the ones who want to stop problems before they start—tend to do more tests than your average M.D. A lot more.

How come? “Most people think of going to their doctor when they’re ill,” says Tyler Cooper, M.D., M.P.H., CEO of Cooper Aerobics in Dallas, Texas. “We prefer people come to us when they’re not having any problems. That way, we can correct problems early on, when they’re easy to treat and before they cause any long-term damage.” These exams—most of which are simple blood tests—can help.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

Most doctors test for diabetes by looking at your blood sugar levels after you haven’t eaten for 8 hours, called a fasting blood glucose test. Keith Berkowitz, M.D., of the Center for Balanced Health in New York City, does something more realistic. He gives you a sugary drink and then observes how your body responds to it, called an oral glucose tolerance test. “It’s a truer representation of your body’s function, since most of the day, your body is processing a meal—not fasting,” Dr. Berkowitz says. “Your blood sugar levels with this test go up 20 years in advance of what a fasting blood glucose test will show.”

Who needs it? Dr. Berkowitz gives one to all of his patients as a screening tool. Make sure you have it by age 30 if you have a family history of diabetes, or if you have heart disease or are at risk for heart disease.

Endoscopic Colonoscopy

The American Cancer Society recommends that men have one of four types of colon cancer tests. Ignore that. Have a colonoscopy. It’s the best way to detect precancerous polyps smaller than half a centimeter, says Danilo Diaz, M.D., a gastroenterologist in York, Pennsylvania. “The danger is that because colorectal screenings are usually only recommended every 5 to 10 years, if a small cancerous polyp is missed, it can develop into full-blown cancer before the next exam,” Dr. Diaz says. “And once colon cancer spreads, the five-year survival rate is extremely low.”

Who needs it? If you have zero risk factors, start at age 50 and have one every 10 years, Dr. Diaz recommends. But if a close relative has had colon cancer, start at age 40 or 10 years before he was diagnosed—whichever one comes first.

Testosterone and Estrogen Blood Test

The sex hormone testosterone is what makes us men. It determines the strength of your erection and the size of your muscles. But over the past two decades, testosterone levels have been in decline, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Once you turn 40, your testosterone levels dip by 2 percent each year. Have both testosterone and estrogen measured so your doctor can look at the ratio. (Click here for 3 Ways to Boost Your T Levels.)

Who needs it? All men at age 40, yearly thereafter.

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Blood Test

Your thyroid is a gland that helps regulates the hormones in your body. When it’s out of whack, the symptoms can be more random than a Bill Hicks standup routine. If the gland is pumping out too much thyroid hormone, you’ll lose weight for no reason, feel nervous or anxious, and have an increased heart rate. Too little thyroid hormone, and it’s the opposite: You’ll gain weight, feel weak and cold, and want to collapse at your desk from fatigue. “They’re abstract symptoms. People might not recognize exactly what they’re experiencing, but they’ll say they just don’t feel the way they want to,” Dr. Cooper says. Medication can regulate your levels.

Who needs it? Everyone, at age 30, Dr. Berkowitz says.

Vitamin D Blood Test

A whopping 66 percent of men have suboptimal levels of vitamin D, according to a study of 41,000 people in the American Journal of Cardiology. And that’s a problem, since D-deficient people are 80 percent more likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared to non-deficient folks, according to the journal Circulation.

But here’s the problem: Too much vitamin D also has risks. People with excessive levels of vitamin D in their blood were 2.5 times more likely to develop heart rhythm problems than people with normal levels, according to a recent study presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. You don’t know where you stand unless you have a blood test.

Who needs it? Everyone, yearly.

Stress Test with an EKG

This one’s controversial—but so was Hendrix. Dr. Cooper orders a stress test with an electrocardiogram for every one of his patients at age 40. You’ll run on a treadmill with electrodes stuck to your chest measuring your heart’s activity. Why have it? “Very often the first symptom of heart disease is a heart attack,” Dr. Cooper says. “The stress test is a good screening study because there’s no real harm associated with it and it’s a reliable way to look for underlying problems.”

Who needs it? Have one at age 40. Depending on your results and risk factors, you might need one every few years afterward. By age 50, Dr. Cooper orders one for his patients annually.

Do you hate running—but know you need to work your heart? We have your boredom-proof solution: These 3 New Cardio Workouts.

Omega-3 Blood Test

Omega-6 fatty acids compete with beneficial omega-3s for space in our cells. While our ancestors ate about a 1:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, the typical American diet is more like 20:1. New studies roll out almost every week touting another omega-3 benefit. Know your level, and you’ll be able to fine-tune how many fish oil supplements you really need to pop each day.

Who needs it? Everyone, annually.

Advanced Cholesterol Panel

Fifty percent of people who suffer a heart attack have normal cholesterol levels, Dr. Berkowitz says. “The traditional cholesterol test that looks at LDL and HDL cholesterol doesn’t tell us all of the information we need,” he explains. “You’ve got to dig deeper to see the whole picture.” Small LDL particles are more risky to your heart than large LDL particles, for example. So that’s what Dr. Berkowitz looks for. “If you have a normal amount of LDL cholesterol but they’re all small particles, you’re still at risk for heart problems.”

If you’ve been eating egg whites to lower your cholesterol, stop. Research shows that the cholesterol you eat doesn’t affect the stuff in your blood. So go ahead, try one of these Healthy Egg Recipes.

Who needs it? Everyone yearly beginning at age 30, or earlier if you have a family history of heart disease.

Multidetector Computer Tomography (MDCT)

This imaging test can see cancer years before you have symptoms. It’s especially good at detecting deadly threats like pancreatic, lung, and liver cancers. “With this test, we catch those early, and we can treat them very easily,” Dr. Cooper says.

The MDCT also can see how much plaque buildup you have in your arteries. “I might have a patient who has iffy cholesterol, but has a lot of buildup. When I see that, I know I need to treat him much more aggressively,” Dr. Cooper says. CT scans do carry a risk of radiation, but most doctors are careful to administer low-dose CTs because of those risks. The test will run you around $500.

Who needs it? Everyone at age 40, repeating every 3 to 5 years to limit radiation, says Dr. Cooper. Too pricey? Dr. Berkowitz says to consider the test if you’re at high risk for heart disease.

Highly Sensitive C-Reactive Protein Blood Test

High c-reactive protein (CRP) is like a threat level orange in your body: You won’t know exactly where the hazard is coming from, but it’s there. “CRP is a nonspecific marker of inflammation in your body,” Dr. Cooper explains. Ask for the highly sensitive CRP (HSCRP) test. A study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine found that this blood test is twice as effective as a standard cholesterol test in predicting heart attacks and strokes.

Who needs it? Anyone with two or more risk factors for heart disease—family history, obesity, smoking, or prehypertension—says John Elefteriades, M.D., chief of cardiac surgery at the Yale University School of Medicine.

Skin Cancer Screening

One in 5 people will develop skin cancer in his or her lifetime. So enlist help: When researchers analyzed 10 years of patient records at a dermatology clinic, they found that doctors detected 82 percent of melanomas among regular patients. (Patients detected the other 18 percent.)

You can probably have this at your regular checkup. “Ask your doctor if he’s comfortable with the skin exam and feels comfortable detecting skin cancers,” says Christopher Miller, M.D., director of dermatologic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. If he isn’t—or if you have your doubts—then see a dermatologist. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery keeps a database of free skin cancer screenings on their website.